Training apparatuses for teaching players techniques incident to the play of football are known in the prior art. Examples of such known devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428, issued July 4, 1967, to J. A. Moran; U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105, issued May 26, 1970, to H. P. Pillard; U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,016, issued Mar. 14, 1972, to R. E. Kelly, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,265, issued July 4, 1972, to H. L. Sheets and R. W. Booth; U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,060, issued July 29, 1975, to R. E. Jennings; and Rogers Athletic Company's "Mod Mover" in Best on the Block, p. 12, 1981.
The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 is a charging device designed specifically to simulate the charge of an opposing lineman in the direction of a player. Such a device provides for a coach to selectively release a lock to enable an impact bag to travel in a direction toward a player. The player, in turn, charges the impact bag to contact the same for returning the impact bag back to its locked position. This apparatus, however, relies exclusively upon an extended, rather than retracted, tension spring to provide the necessary means for moving the impact bag in the direction toward a player. Further, even though such device may be employed to teach both offensive and defensive lineman techniques using either shoulder blocks or hand charges, it is unfortunately limited only to simulate the charge of an opposing lineman directly at a player. Since under actual game conditions, the movement of an opposing lineman is not limited to a direct charge on a player, such device fails to expose to the player actual game-like conditions.
The tackling sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,265 is nothing more than a modification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 in that it provides a training device which simulates the initial charge and retreat reactions of a football lineman. Such sled employs basically three sets of compression springs for its movement wherein the first set urges the plunger having a pad secured thereto toward its extended position and opposes motion toward its retracted position, while the forward motion of the plunger is resiliently limited by a second set, and the rearward motion is resiliently limited by the third set. Like the sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 the pad relies upon the contact of a charging player to return it back to its locked position. Such sled additionally provides for the angle of the plunger stroke and the force of the springs to be adjusted so that lineman utilizing different types of charge and retreat reactions can be simulated. Nevertheless, as with the typical apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428, such sled is likewise limited only to simulate the charge of an opposing lineman generally directly toward a player. Thus, such sled also fails to expose to a player actual game-like conditions.
The sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 overcame one of the problems attendant with the typical apparatuses disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 in that it provides a reactor dummy, i.e., an impact bag, on a movable frame mounted on a sled that may move horizontally laterally in either direction while providing downward and forward force against the charging player. Further, such sled can provide freely sliding movement away from the charging player. For its downward and forward force, the sled relies exclusively on springs for yielding tension biased between a stop plate located on the movable frame and a spring plate located on the reactor dummy. With respect to the sled's freely sliding horizontal movement, the sled is mounted onto runners and rollers for sliding horizontal movement on either the runners or runners and rollers; however, the horizontal movement results only when the reactor dummy is contacted by the charging player. The coach, therefore, is limited to selectively manipulating the reactor dummy horizontally laterally in either direction. Unfortunately, such improved sled is unable to simulate the charge of an opposing lineman toward a player. Thusly, while the sled provides conditions for horizontal lateral movement and sliding horizontal movement away from the charging player, it cannot simulate actual game-like situations since it fails to expose to the player a charge by an opposing lineman generally toward the player. Nor can the sled be reset by the contact of the player for rapid, repeated contacts.
The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,060 basically improves upon one of the disadvantages associated with the typical sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 in that it provides a pad mounted on a supporting assembly for reciproca1 movement in a direction toward and away from a player. Such apparatus simply operates with coil springs for rendering resistance to the backward movement of the pad under an applied force presented by a charging player, and for urging the assembly in the forward direction once the force applied by the player is removed. Unfortunately, such apparatus is unequipped for lateral movement as shown with the sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105, and like such sled, this apparatus is unable to replicate the charge of an opposing lineman generally directly toward a player. Such apparatus, thusly, cannot create game-like conditions where an opposing lineman charges at a player either generally directly or generally directly while simultaneously moving horizontally laterally.
The Mod Mover as disclosed in Rogers Athletic Company's brochure, "Best on the Block," '81, is also an improvement of the typical sled shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 in that it provides a pad for lateral horizontal movement mounted on special bearings that allow it to glide freely and quickly, and be manipulated manually by an operator. Nevertheless, as with the sled disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 and the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,060, the Mod Mover cannot duplicate the on-coming charge of an opposing lineman generally directly toward a player. Thus, the Mod Mover exposes the player to inferior game-like situations. Further, the Mod Mover is designed low to the ground limiting its usefulness as an aid for teaching football techniques, such as offensive pass blocking techniques.
Finally, the trainer of U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,016 overcame a problem common to both the typical apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 and the basic sled of U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 in that it provides a padded dummy mounted on a frame which can be extended, retracted or swung to either side in any combination of moves under the control of an operator. This improved trainer, however, is insensitive and fails to respond to the impact delivered by a charging player. Additionally, the padded dummy is limited to a rotational lateral movement pivoting about a pin. Thus, while the trainer provides a padded dummy which is movable and designed to simulate an opponent who is dodging, it cannot respond to the impact of a charging player nor can it be reset by the impact of a charging player for rapid, repeated contact by that player. Further, the degree of horizontal lateral movement about the pivot is limited to the extent in which the padded dummy extends outwardly toward the charging player.
In other words, all of the football training apparatuses provided hitherto invariably necessarily lack some of the fundamental elements required to simulate the physical reactions ordinarily provided, for instance, by a charging defensive lineman under actual game conditions. Consequently, there are needs for training apparatuses that can provide players with more realistic playing conditions generally encountered during a football game.